Australian Swimming Trials - Day 3 Preview

Teen sensation Sienna Toohey is back in the water; Cam McEvoy (pictured) starts his Singapore push in earnest and Ahmed Kelly will look to repeat his short course heroics at SA Aquatic & leisure Centre

SWIMMERS’ SIX PACK

Mollie O’Callaghan | St Peters Western | 200m Free
Mollie O has had “some fun” in the backstroke but freestyle is where she is looking to extend her long course haul of eight World Championship gold medals to leapfrog retired duo Ian Thorpe (11) and Grant Hackett (10). The Olympic champion readily admits she has just come through one of the toughest periods of her swimming career and while Mollie O didn’t contest the Doha World Championships in 2024, she won this event in Fukuoka in 2023 in world record time. Fresh of a St Peters training camp in Thailand – Mollie O is ready to race.

Ahmed Kelly | Yarra Plenty | Men’s 150m IM MC
To put it simply, the two-time Paralympian and  Paris Paralympic medallist loves this pool. In September, Ahmed (SM3) stole the show with a world record time of 2:55.06 at the 2024 National Short Course Championships. As the only competitor in the final, all eyes were on Ahmed as he raced the clock and when he touched the wall, the pool erupted in celebration. But today, Ahmed’s great mate Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson will line up beside him.

Sienna Toohey | Albury | 50m Breast
Generation Next has catapulted into Generation Now. Sienna was an absolute head turner last night winning the 100m breast and booking her senior Dolphins debut. In April at National Age Championships, the 16-year-old won four gold and set two national records including a 1:07.04 in the girls 100m breaststroke that broke Dolphins’ great Leisel Jones 23-year-old national age record (1:07.31). She then backed this up with a national record in the 50m breaststroke (30.73).

Cam McEvoy | Somerville House | 50m Free
An effervescent Cam McEvoy is 21.48 seconds closer to the blueprint that he hopes will deliver a world record – and another Olympic gold. In April, the Paris gold medallist retained his 50m free national title – posting the second fastest time of the year. And that was the on the back of just one three-week roster of swimming. At nationals, Jamie Jack (21.95), brother of Olympian Shayna, finished second to McEvoy to signal he has a serious chance ahead to make his first senior Dolphins’ team. The stacked heats field also includes Kyle Chalmers, Matt Temple and Isaac Cooper.

Tim Hodge | Blacktown | 200 IM MC
All eyes on the boy from Blacktown who has completed his medal cabinet in Paris, claiming his maiden individual Paralympic gold medal – in the men’s 200m individual medley SM9. In Paris, Hodge led from start to finish to claim gold in a Paralympic record time of 2.13:31, breaking the previous mark set by Australian Matthew Cowdrey at Beijing in 2008 and goes into today’s race as the world champion and world record holder. Hodge has already qualified for Singapore World Para Swimming Championships.

Sam Short | Rackley | 800m Free
Short has won the 400m here, sizzled with a second placing in the 200m and now plans to use that speed in the 800m. He was part of a large contingent of Aussie swimmers that trained in Flagstaff, Arizona at altitude earlier this year to then put on a show at TYR Pro Swim Series stop in Sacramento and then at the Brazilian Championships. The 2023 world champion in the men’s 400 freestyle who also won medals in the 800 and 1500 free, was well off the form he showed in 2023 at the Games, failing to reach the podium and missing the final of the 800 and 1500 free. But the distance ace has shrugged off his Games disappointment and has bounced back with coach Damien Jones describing him as the one athlete you’d still want “swimming for your life”.  Today’s 800m also include open water Olympian Kyle Lee.

> Heats start at 11am I Finals from 7.00pm local time
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